Friday, June 29, 2012

One question I am often asked is, "Why isn't may plant blooming". Often the asker wants to know what type of fertilizer
they need to
apply to make the plant flower, but the answer is usually not
that simple.
Whether discussing a tree, shrub, perennial, or vegetable, there
are many
reasons plants fail to flower. Getting them to bloom depends
upon correctly
identifying what is preventing flower production – and the
answer is rarely
lack of fertilizer.

The most common reasons plants fail to bloom include growing in too much shade, incorrect pruning, and that they are not yet old enough. Learn more about these reasons and the role nutrition plays in blossom production by reading the whole article, available here on the Pender Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2012/07/wheres-the-flowers/

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Since the mid
90’s, tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) has been one of the most
serious
diseases of tomatoes in our area, and this year is no exception.
While it has
always been able to infect peppers, more cases of TSWV seem to
be showing up on
peppers in our area than in past year. Always deadly, there is
no way to treat
TSWV and infected plants should be pulled up and discarded.

Tomato plants
infected with TSWV may at first appear stunted and pale. Upon
close inspection,
you may notice unusual markings on the leaves. Sometimes these
marking look
like brown or black spots, other times they look like tattooed
lines or circles.
Spots may or may not be surrounded by yellow leaf tissue. The
leaves of
infected plants may curl inward, while the veins may turn
purple, and plants often
take on a bronze cast. Usually these symptoms show up on the top
leaves of the
plant first, while most other tomato diseases show up on the
lower leaves
first. As the disease progresses, infected plants wilt and die,
usually within
a week of the first symptoms appearing.

Friday, June 15, 2012

If you are a gardener there are probably lots of weeds that
top your list as being among the world’s worst. Plants like
crabgrass and
chamber bitter come to mind. These prolific garden weeds are
certainly annoying
but at least they stay confined to cultivated areas. Some weeds
don’t. Some
weeds invade natural areas, smother out native species, and alter
ecosystems
forever. One of the world’s worst is cogongrass, which was
recently found in
North Carolina for the first time near Burgaw.

Cogongrass is most easily recognized by the fluffy white
seed heads
produced in early summer before most other grasses bloom.Plants
grow two to four feet tall, with coarse, light green, one inch
wide leaves that
have a prominent off center white main vein and a pointed tip.
They are usually
distributed in dense, round patches. Further identification tips
and images can
be found online at www.cogongrass.org.

Learn more about cogongrass by reading the entire article available on the Pender Extension website at: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+188

If you think you have located a patch of
cogongrass, contact
Charlotte Glen at the Pender County Cooperative Extension office
in Burgaw,
910-259-1235. Learn more about invasive plants in our area online
at the
Southeast Exotic Plant Pest Council’s website: http://www.se-eppc.org.

If you have gardening questions, contact your local Cooperative Extension office. If you live in Pender County, call
259-1235. In New Hanover
County, call 798-7660. In Brunswick County call 253-2610, or
visit http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/
where you can find your local office, or post
your questions to be answered via the ‘Ask an Expert’ widget
online here:
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=askanexpert

Monday, June 11, 2012

Finding
locally grown, farm fresh blueberries is an easy task in our
area, considering
Pender County is the second highest blueberry producing county
in the state.
But did you know blueberries are relatively easy to grow in
most home gardens? In
fact, blueberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow
organically, making
them the perfect pick for many backyards. To start your
blueberry patch all you
need to know is how to prepare your site and which are the
best varieties for
our area.

Or, visit the Pender Extension Master Gardeners at the NC Blueberry Festival, June
16 on the courthouse square in Burgaw. We will be under the
education tent! Learn more about the Blueberry Festival, where you can buy fresh blueberries from local farms, enjoy live music, and get lots of tasty blueberry treats! Visit http://www.ncblueberryfestival.com/ to find out more. To find local farms where you can pick or buy fresh blueberries, visit the NC Farm Fresh website at http://www.ncfarmfresh.com/.